Archive for November, 2020

Ya Buts 11-8-2020

Sunday, November 8th, 2020

This gospel reminds me of two special stories.
The first story:
There is a town that has four separate neighborhoods. The first
neighborhood is called, “Yabuts.” The people who live there think they
know what needs to be done. As a matter of fact, they talk about it quite
convincingly – up to a point. When told they have an opportunity for
something, the conversation goes something like this: “Ya, but…” The
“Yabuts” have the answer. It just happens to be the wrong answer.
The next neighborhood is known as the “Gunnados.” Now they
are some of the best-intentioned folks you could ever meet. They really
understand what needs to be done, and they would have done it, if they
had only followed through. They study everything that is required very
carefully, and just as an opportunity drifts past them, they realize what
they were “gunnado.” If only they had done what they were “gunnado.”
Another neighborhood is known as the “Wishawoodas.” These
people have an excellent perspective on life – hindsight. They say, “I ‘wishawooda’ this, or ‘wishawooda’ that…” They know everything that
should be done, only it’s after the fact.
The last neighborhood is known as the “Gladidids.” They are a
truly special group of people. The “Wishawoodas” drive by the
“Gladidids” homes and admire them. The “Gunnados” want to join
them, but just cannot quite get around to it. The “Yabuts” could have
been “Gladidids,” but destiny just did not smile on them. The
“Gladidids” are pleased that they are disciplined enough to do what they
know they should do instead of always doing what they wanted to do.
These are the four neighborhoods. In which neighborhood do you
live? In which one would you rather live? 1) Yabuts 2) Gunnados 3)
Wishawoodas 4) Gladidids.
The second story:
There is an ancient story about three demons who were arguing
over the best way to destroy the Christian mission in the world. The first
demon says, “Let’s tell all the Christians there is no heaven. Take away
the reward incentive and the mission will collapse.” The second demon
says, “Let’s tell all the Christians there is no hell. Take away the fear of punishment and the mission will collapse.” The third demon says,
“There is one better way. Let’s tell all the Christians that there is no
hurry” and all three immediately say, “That’s it! All we have to do is
tell them there’s no hurry and the whole Christian enterprise will
collapse.”
Some things can’t be put off to the last minute- the foolish
bridesmaids needed to be reminded of this. We are reminded – happy is
the person who takes to heart this message and does something about it
today.

All Saint 11-1-2020

Sunday, November 1st, 2020

I have always been drawn to the Feast of All Saints. It is a time to
remember with gratitude all those persons whose goodness has inspired
me in my beliefs and given me courage to act on what I believe. It is a
day to acknowledge that these holy men and women have helped me
find my own potential for goodness.
I think of “saints” as not only those women and men who have
been canonized by the church, but all people whose lives reflect the
goodness of God. Saints are not perfect people. They have their faults,
idiosyncrasies, and weaknesses. They have their own struggles and
difficulties. Even the canonized ones are noted to have been difficult to
live with because of some of their unique mannerisms. Yet, the saints
are people of integrity. They have a central focus at the core of their
lives: the love of God. They consistently choose to act out of that
central reality, no matter how ordinary or extraordinary their lives may
be.
One of the finest books I have used for daily inspiration is Robert Ellsberg’s All Saints. In this book of 365 daily reflections on saints,
Ellsberg notes that the “communion of saints” mwas a vivid reality for the
early Christians. They would gather at the gravesites of martyrs to
remember the martyrs’ witness to the gospel and commemorate the
anniversary of their deaths. This ritual was the seed for the future feast
of All Saint’s Day. As we celebrate this feast on November 1, we gather
to commemorate not just martyrs or people we might tend to put on
spiritual pedestals, but all those people who have drawn us to God
because of who they were and how they lived. All Saints’ Day is an
excellent opportunity for us to be re-inspired by their virtuous lives and
to cherish the union we have with them.
Thank you, Heart of all Goodness, for each of these saints who
have been a part of my life in some way. Thank you for their witness
and inspiration. Thank you for how their life encourages me to live my
own in a better way. I renew my dedication to you and pray that their
qualities of goodness will continue to grow and mature in me. May your
love shine through us so that one day; we too, may be counted among the white-robed ones who stand before your throne.